In the event the wind stayed mainly from the SSW, occasionally backing to the South, but decreasing as predicted so that by mid morning we were motoring as expected but further inshore than intended. Gradually the wind filled in again and we motor-sailed with the genoa but at this point we had taken our eye off the ball and not realised that the Aghulas current, which would add two knots to our speed, was further offshore. After a frustrating period of not being able to do more than about 5kts we checked the current chart and discovered our mistake. We headed further offshore and immediately picked up speed and even more so after switching off the engine. Thus in 15kts of NE wind we headed down to Richards Bay at up to 7kts SOG (speed over ground).

By this time Endorphin and Hecla had both arrived in Richards Bay and were planning an evening meal at a local restaurant. Our ETA was by now 1900 at the port and 2000 on the berth. Jon, Colin and Izzi would take their hand held VHF radio and listen out for us calling up the port control on arrival, then come down to the berth and help us tie up. We hunkered down as the wind slowly rose through 15kts and the sun descended to the west.

By 1800 the sun was setting and the wind had risen to 20kts. We could tell because this is the point at which the wind starts to whistle in the rigging. At the same time the following waves had risen to over two metres. As it became dark we started to pick out the lights that would guide us into the harbour. This was tricky because there was a large number of bulk carriers at anchor, each lit up like a Christmas tree, and their lights merged with those along the the shoreline. The one clearly identifiable light was on the top of a tower on a hilltop just to the north of the port. We used this as a reference point while identifying the colour and flashing sequence of those lights that would guide us into the approach channel.

At five miles out we called up port control and gave the controller all the information she required about the boat, where we had come from and the crew. We were cleared into the channel and asked to call again when one mile from entering the port. At this point we knew exactly where we were going and just had to make sure we were at least a mile offshore in order to avoid all the shark nets protecting the beaches. However, we received a further call from port control asking us to wait for an approaching cargo vessel. Annie took the call and suggested that this might be tricky for us as we were sailing and didn’t want to be swept past the port by the wind and current. Clearly motor does not give way to sail when entering Richards Bay (or no doubt any other port) because our controller immediately became Ms Whiplash - “DO NOT ENTER THE CHANNEL”. So, genoa furled, engine on we adopted the technique that Vega does extremely well (we did the same thing in 40kts wind in Fiji) and that is with the engine in neutral to turn towards the wind, hold the wheel fully turned and adopt a hove to position, drifting slowly forwards and to leeward. By doing this with the wind on the starboard beam we were on the perfect course for a slow approach as the cargo ship crossed in front of us. We then had the all clear from port control and motored into the port.

The quarantine berth for new yacht arrivals is a stone pier within a sheltered lagoon area at the head of a dredged channel off the main shipping channel. The lagoon is in part surrounded by apartments and waterfront restaurants and used to have pontoon berths for yachts. The pontoons have all gone but the restaurants are still there and from one of these Colin, Izzi and Jon had come with torches to shine on the pier wall where there was a space for us to tie up which we did at exactly 2000. By 2030 the nearest restaurant “Dros” (I must find out if that means the same as in the UK) had delivered a takeaway supper to our boat and I was asleep at the table within seconds of eating it.